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Annie Williams
Professor Vyvial
English 1301
25 October 2016
Tobacco: Cash Crop Or Cancer Crop?
Tobacco products have been a tradition and typical american commodity since the
beginning of time. However, with several scientific studies and consciousness growth over the
past decades, people are now more aware of the true harmful effects from repeated tobacco use.
Some of the possible long-term effects derived from tobacco use include lung cancer, increased
risk of stroke and brain damage, cancer of the nose, lip, tongue and mouth, eye cataracts,
macular degeneration, yellowing of whites of eyes, and possible death. (E. National Cancer
Institute) Government officials are now contemplating outlaw of the use of cigarettes and other
tobacco products as scientific studies show how harmful it is to health. However, the many
people that use tobacco everyday are arguing against this ruling and feel that it violates their
natural rights as a human being if tobacco was taken away from them.
Although first-hand smoke is bad, second-hand smoke has been proven to be even more
harmful than a direct contact with a tobacco cigarette. ( A. Health Risks Of Second Hand
Smoke). When children, pregnant women, and other random people that are not willingly
smoking stand in the vicinity of someone who is, they are are inhaling the active chemicals
through second-hand contact. These chemicals are known to be even more toxic to them than the
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direct smoker. People with certain health circumstances (pregnancy, cancer, young children) are
more susceptible to getting ill from these toxins in the air. Second-hand smoke has higher
concentrations of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) and is more toxic than direct smoke. (B.
Centers For DIsease Control & Prevention) It also has smaller particles than cigarette smoke.
These smaller particles make their way into the lungs and the bodys cells more easily because
they float and linger in the air. Although studied show otherwise, tobacco users still feel that it
should not be banned because they should have freedom to do what they like as long as they are
not harming anyone. Frequent tobacco users argument is based off of freedom of the people and
not wanting the government to make them stop doing what they like to. People that are addicted
to cigarettes make it harder for them to quit because of the drug that makes their body crave
more. Since the 1964 Surgeon Generals Report, 2.5 million adults who were nonsmokers died
because they breathed secondhand smoke. (C. National Institutes of Health) This study
includes children and pregnant woman that were involuntarily breathing in chemicals. Those
who have not died from secondhand smoke have suffered from asthma attacks, respiratory
infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) all because they stood
around someone who was smoking a cigarette. (D. Smoking)
In 2011, there were an estimated 90,000 smoking-material fires in the United States. These
fires caused 540 human deaths, 1,640 injuries and $621 million in direct property damage. (D.
Smoking) Fires will ruin all of your belongings, cost thousands of dollars in damage and
possibly kill the individuals that come in contact with the fire. Those who were fast enough to
leave the area still then suffer from poisonous smoke inhalation and possible 3rd degree burns.
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This is all caused because a tiny cigarette or smoking pipe was left unattended. One small action
of inattention can change ones and possibly many others whole future. Taking the last drag of
cigarette could put someone in the ER and hospital for a very long time and be left with
permanent physical damage. Every action has a side effect, however, some more drastic than
others. Many people choose to continue to smoke because no life altering event has happened to
them and feel it is their natural right to ingest what they want. Cigarette smokers dont have a
problem taking a risk for their cigarettes, though people against the use of tobacco feel it is just
because they are addicted and need help to stop smoking. Addiction is a real problem and many
people wish to stop smoking but cant because of the cravings and relapses they encounter.
Therapy and counseling is offered online and by phone for those struggling.
Many different forms of cancer have been traced back to tobacco products yet the
government still funds the tobacco companies and people continue to spend a great deal of
money on it. Smoking is a leading cause of cancer and death. It has been associated with cancers
of the lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, cervix,
colon, and rectum, as well as acute myeloid leukemia. ( E."National Cancer Institute") The facts
are out there but people continue to smoke and increase their risk of getting sick and/or death.
This may be due to an addiction to the drug, enjoyment, or just not being aware of the side
effects. This question has arose many times to the government to argue against those who are for
tobacco if they should ban the drug or not.
One of the main responsibilities of any government is to ensure the safety of its population,
that is why things like taking hard drugs and breaking the speed limit are also illegal. Therefore,
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some of the community believes it would be reasonable to ban smoking, as it is an activity

which kills millions of people each year. If tobacco was banned, many believe the crime rate
would rise because tobacco would then be illegal contraband and a huge source of legal revenue
would be lost. Money plays a huge role in the tobacco industry which includes: tobacco taxes,
farming, and factories. If tobacco was suddenly outlawed, a lot of companies would lose money
and workers would be out of jobs. Also, the amount of money it would cost to put/keep people in
jail if the outlaw of tobacco was passed should be considered. Cigarette tax policy is complex in
that it has two opposite goals. One goal is to raise revenue and the other is to reduce smoking.
When the tax policy works reduce the use of tobacco, revenues are decreased because sales go
down significantly. ( F."The Daily Caller") Ironically, the money people pay for a tobacco
product doesnt just go to the tobacco industry. It also funds health care industries, lawyers and
the federal government. The government benefits from the revenues of tobacco product taxes,
therefore they are hesitant to ban something that makes the so much money for different
industries. People that are addicted to the drug nicotine that is inside tobacco products will
continue to pay until they decide to quit or they eventually die from natural cause or from
tobacco use. Government officials and the public are now contemplating if the risk is worth any
of the perceived benefits of smoking. Those perceived benefits of smoking cigarettes include;
conveying a confident and desirable image, the physical effect of relaxation, and being caught up
in the trends.
The tradition of the use of tobacco should be strongly evaluated by each individual. It needs to
be understood by all that tobacco is not a right for everyone and measure out the good and bad to
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see if they should continue the use of it. Second hand smoke affects and hurts many people, some
that dont even want to partake in tobacco use. The government is making steps to protect those
individuals by working on new policies. It is hard if not impossible to make everyone happy but
if some people are spared damage, it is worth the effort.

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Works Cited

A) "Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke." Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke. N.p., n.d. Web.
01 Nov. 2016.
B)
Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 05 Mar. 2014. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.
C) "The Reports of the Surgeon General: The 1964 Report on Smoking and Health." U.S.
National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2016.
D) By TypeToggle This Sub-menu Open or ClosedCertificationsClassroomConferencesHands
OnOnlineOn-SiteState-approved Continuing EducationWebinarsBy TopicToggle This Sub-menu
Open or ClosedBuilding and Life SafetyElectricalEmergency ResponseFire Protection Syst.
"Smoking." Smoking. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.
E)
"Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting." National Cancer
Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.
F)
@c_maydc. "What Would a Smoke-free America Cost the Government?" The Daily
Caller. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.